


1+1=3

by wholewheatpopcorn



Series: Demon AU [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Demon AU, Fight Scene, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-14
Updated: 2020-08-14
Packaged: 2021-03-05 18:54:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25890157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wholewheatpopcorn/pseuds/wholewheatpopcorn
Summary: Only Muse is allowed to beat up Virus. No one else.
Relationships: Virus | Maxwell Vincent Tyler & Muse | Maximus Taylor
Series: Demon AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1878760





	1+1=3

**Author's Note:**

> Demon AU: Muse is an ice deamon and a debt collector. Virus is a fire demon and a demonic lawyer. Muse goes after Virus for a contract he didn't honor but he's unfortunately not strong enough to beat Virus.

I.

There was a fight going on. Muse could tell from the pervasive scent of scorched earth and sea water that wafted through the air. People were murmuring, some stealing glances towards the direction of the fight scene and others scampering away. 

“It’s a match between a fire demon and a water demon.” He heard someone say in the passing as he carefully made his way towards the fight scene. A thoughtful look crossed his face and he walked just a little bit faster. 

His feet carried him over cobblestone and dirt until he stopped where a small crowd of spectators were gathered. 

“What’s going on?” He asked as he pushed his way to the front of the crowd. People shifted to accommodate him, throwing sideways glances and making low grumbles of discontent. 

“Some water demon started a fight with that fire demon over there.” Muse heard someone reply. The person laughed as Muse squinted into the battlefield. “He doesn’t look like he’s doing too hot though.”

His gaze landed on the two figures. One of which he didn’t recognize and another that was painfully familiar. 

_ Virus _ ?

Muse’s lips curled down into a frown as he watched Virus dance across the battlefield. He was doing well, Muse could tell, but something was slowing him down. Muse watched as he landed blow upon blow on his opponent, only to be propelled away with a wave of water that soaked into his bones. 

A few more beats into the fight and the air filled with Virus’s demonic dog form, fire raining from above as a piercing howl echoed across the field. The battle reached a new intensity. Virus and the mysterious water demon continued to exchange blows with each other. Muse let his shoulders relax, resolving to watch the show to its end. 

Virus had it handled, he figured. It was unlike Virus to not have things handled. 

Except, perhaps, Muse’s adversary wasn’t doing as great as Muse expected him to. 

Muse watched with growing surprise as Virus’s gargantuan form began to shrink under the relentless pressure of the water demon’s waves. Even Muse could tell Virus’s attacks were gaining a note of unhinged frustration to them. 

Muse’s attention zeroed in on the scene. 

Virus, who was now nothing more than a small puppy, wobbled on his feet a few times before succumbing to the pull of gravity. He crumpled to the ground, sending up a small puff of ash when he fell. The water man stood a few feet away from Virus with a look of grim satisfaction. 

Muse’s breath held in his throat. 

The fight... was over? The people around him began to disperse, having determined that the show was over. Muse, on the other hand, remained glued to his spot, watching the water demon. 

A sinister smile crept onto the water demon’s face and all Muse could process was the glint of steel in his hands as he approached Virus’s body before Muse’s vision went red. 

Muse vaulted forward, moving before he could even process what he was doing.

“ _ Don’t you dare touch a single hair on his body. _ ” Muse snarled, stopping right in front of Virus’s fallen form. His hands flew to his waist, unhooking his whip in a single practiced movement and sending the cord of leather hurtling into the air. 

“Well, well.” The man spat, eyes narrowing dangerously. “Looks like a knight in shining armor came to rescue Virus.” 

Muse snapped his whip back to his side and took a defensive stance in front of Virus’s collapsed body.

“If you walk away now, I will let you live.

The water demon barked out a harsh laugh. “What a joke! Who do you think you are?” As the man spoke, water rippled into the air around. Muse tracked the development with narrowed and wary eyes. “If you think I’m going anywhere without that bastard’s corpse, you’re wrong.” 

Inhale. 

Exhale. 

“My name is Muse, a debt collector of the 49th precinct.” A thick wall of ice rose from ground to shroud Virus’s prone body from any further harm and interference. Muse’s lips pulled back, sharp teeth glinting in the sunlight. A furious and deranged look flickered onto his face. “And this man is  **mine** .” 

Muse swung his arm in a wide arc forward and the sound of his whip cracking filled the air. The blade in the man’s hand shattered as he brought his arms up to defend against the blow.

The water demon was strong— he had to be if he pushed Virus up into the corner like that— but Muse was faster and stronger. Months of battling against Virus sharpened Muse’s skill and while it still wasn’t enough to defeat Virus, it was enough for the battle against the water demon. 

The man continued to dodge his flurry of whip blows. He sent bullets of water in Muse’s direction but Muse froze each one before they could reach him. 

It was becoming clear to Muse that Virus lost for a number of reasons. A number of bad reasons, really. 

First, the water demon had an elemental advantage against Virus. Virus was a fire demon. The man was a water demon. Virus was…. naturally weak to him. The idea left a bad taste in Muse’s mouth. ( _ He clicked his tongue in disgust, spinning for momentum before shooting out his whip again. He took vindictive pleasure in the short instances when his whip met flesh. _ ) 

Second, Virus was tired and recovering from Muse’s attack the day before. ( _ Muse swept his hand, freezing over the massive waves that the water demon summoned. His smirk grew as the expression of frustration on the man’s face deepened. _ ) Muse knew better than anyone else that Virus was legions stronger than he was so there was absolutely no reason Virus should’ve lost to water man even with the elemental disadvantage. But, their fight yesterday took a lot out of both of them— for better or for worse, Muse was improving and it was showing. Muse had the day off, which he spent recovering in the ice pools, but he knew Virus didn’t have that luxury. Which meant Virus was still harboring the injuries Muse inflicted upon him the day prior. 

They must have slowed Virus down, Muse concluded. That was the only reason why Virus lost. 

His disdain for the water demon grew a little at the thought.  _ What a coward, attacking a man who was already injured.  _ While Muse coveted the moment he would take Virus down from his high pedestal, even he knew better than to attack Virus when Virus was already injured. 

Muse stomped his foot and sent sharp spikes of ice shooting up from the ground. The man leapt up into the air, using a wave of water to propel him out of harm’s way-- but Muse was ready for him. His whip lashed out once more, wrapping around the man’s ankles and slamming him down into the ice spikes covering the floor. Water poured from the man’s wounds. 

The water demon, of course, wasn’t about to take the beating standing down. He pushed himself up and summoned another wave of water to push himself forward into Muse’s vicinity. Hooking his whip back into his belt, Muse took a defensive stance and let ice curl over his fingers into claws. He met the man’s advance with a crash, blocking his blow and deftly swinging his clawed hands into his abdomen.

They traded blows and Muse was never particularly great at close combat but practice had made him a bit better. Combined with his elemental advantage over the water demon, Muse practically had the fight handled. 

He curled his icy claws over the man’s throat and slammed him into the ground, teeth bared in threat. His other hand was hovering nearby, ready for any further sign of trouble. “Please—“ the man choked out, struggling futilely as ice crept up his throat. “Let me go, please, I’ll leave you both alone, I promise—“ 

A low growl rumbled in Muse’s throat but he let his grip loosen anyways, exhaling a cold breath onto the man’s face and watching his eyelashes freeze over. As the ice thawed from Muse’s hands, he stood up and sneered down at the man. “Leave.” The man nodded furiously. Muse appraised him once more before spinning on his heels. 

He made it five steps towards the direction where he’d enclosed Virus’s body before stopping. 

“You should’ve taken your chance to flee.” Muse sighed, turning his head to meet the petrified gaze of the water demon. The water demon, who was frozen in place, had his arms outreached with a shard of ice clutched in his palms. Judging from his position-- how his legs were lunged out-- Muse wagered he was trying to attack him by surprise. 

_ What a coward.  _

Muse reeled his fist back and shattered the man’s frozen figure. Grinding his boots down into the brittle remains of the water demon’s broken body, Muse snorted derisively and made his way back to Virus. 

Carefully, he scooped up Virus’s small, vulnerable body and trekked around the massive structures of ice he created during his fight. He paused for a moment in front of a frozen curl of a raging wave, frowning.

( _ Why did he go to such extents to save Virus? Why did he save Virus to begin with? Weren’t they enemies? _ )

Muse shook his head and continued on his journey back to Virus’s home. What was important now was that he got Virus home to somewhere he could recover. 

Everything else could be figured out later. 

II.

Virus awoke to the scent of ash, pumpkins, and mint. 

A rather strange and perhaps troubling mixture of scents to wake to, but Virus didn’t linger on it too long. What was more concerning, he reasoned through his sleep muddled brain, was why his bed was suddenly so hard and uncomfortable. He just bought a new mattress last month, there was no reason for his bed to feel like a sack of coals. 

He made a low noise of displeasure, eyes still scrunched shut as he shifted in his spot in attempts to get comfortable. A few more failed attempts at grasping his quickly fleeing sense of comfort had him jumping to his feet, eyes flying open with indignation. He was going to have to have a stern talk to his mattress salesman because—

Oh. 

Virus sat back down on his haunches and took in the situation. 

He was at home, in his living room to be exact. Admittedly, it did take a few moments for him to recognize that he was, being that he’d never quite seen his living room from such a specific angle. He wasn’t entirely sure why he was in the fireplace, but he was and suddenly his uncomfortable bed made a lot more sense to him. 

The fire in the fireplace was still going, and as such Virus found himself literally wreathed in the flames. Strange, but not unpleasant. The heat of the flames soaked into his wounds, slowly patching his skin back together. It honestly felt like taking a soak in a nice warm tub but that was besides the point. 

Virus was still in his dog form. He didn’t usually make a habit of falling asleep in his demon form but the answer regarding his current state of being came to him easily. He’d collapsed while still in his dog form so it was only natural that he awoke in his dog form. 

Which begged the biggest question of all: how did he get here?

His opponent didn’t seem like the type to let him go just like that and Virus was certain he collapsed before he got to kill the damn demon. He had been banking on the idea that authorities would come to his aid before he was killed but that didn’t explain why he was in his own home rather than something like a public hospital. 

He sat for a moment, pondering, until the answer to his questions came to him quite literally. 

The scent of pumpkins and mint drew closer as a figure carrying a bowl emerged from the kitchen. 

“Oh. You’re awake.” Muse said, picking up the fireplace poker and stirring the coal around Virus. Virus wrinkled his nose and tilted his head, watching the motion a bit warily. He met Muse’s searching gaze and took particular interest in the soft look that crossed the ice demon’s face. 

_ Hm _ . What could it mean? Oh, right. Virus was still in puppy form, of course Muse was being nice to him. He snorted a little and shifted on the coal, pawing a few pieces closer to him. 

“I made you some soup.” Muse offered. He set the bowl in front of Virus, just barely out of reach of the flames. Virus gave Muse a dubious look and poked his head out of the comfort of the fireplace to sniff at the soup. 

He took an experimental lap at the thick orange liquid. 

Pumpkin soup. 

Hm. 

“I never thought I’d see the day where you’d try to poison me, Muse.” Virus spoke, finally. He emerged from the flames to nose at the bowl of offered soup. If a dog could make an expression of teasing amusement, Virus certainly was at the moment. An effort that was definitely worth it, judging from the look of utter offense that flashed across Muse’s face.  _ Cute _ . Virus’s tail swished slowly back and forth. 

“If you don’t want it, I’ll just take it back.” Muse said indignantly, nearly bristling as he reached out to confiscate the bowl of soup. Virus snapped at Muse’s fingers before he could reach the bowl, growling softly. 

“No! It’s mine.” He placed a paw on the bowl and stuck his muzzle into the soup to prove his point. 

“Then stop complaining about it.” Muse shot back, crossing his arms as he straightened up. Virus lifted his head, licking the soup off the sides of his mouth before sticking his tongue out in response. Muse harrumphed and settled down on the couch as Virus directed his own attention to finishing his bowl of mediocre pumpkin soup. 

It wasn’t until the soup was finished did Virus push himself up and stretch out his legs. A yawn overtook him and he glanced back at the fireplace before ambling a few more steps forward. He carried himself over to Muse, stopping short just at his feet. 

They looked at each other for a long moment. “Why did you help me, Muse?” Virus asked, breaking the silence. 

Muse seemed unfazed, looking down at him with an impassive expression. “I wanted to.” 

“You saving me out isn’t going to make me pay the debt you want to collect from me.” Virus pointed out. His eyes were narrowed in his attempt to convey the severity of the statement. If Muse was looking to gain any favors from Virus, he would have to look elsewhere. 

Muse only snorted, his eyes lighting up with a soft blue glow. “Dead men can’t pay debts.” 

Hm. 

“Hm.” Virus sat down. “Alright.” It made sense to him, somewhere in his fiery little brain. Virus wasn’t too concerned about it anyways, he knew Muse had a strange relationship with moral honor codes. What was important was that Muse tended to behave more chivalrously than most and that meant Virus wasn’t in any danger for the moment. In fact, it wasn’t a stretch to say Muse would likely go out of his way to  _ protect _ Virus while he was in his puppy form. (Virus had to wonder, of course, if that was what happened after he passed out.) Muse was Virus’s icy knight, in some sense. 

The thought pleased him for reasons he couldn’t quite place and he figured he would at least reward his rival for his good behavior. So he leaned against Muse’s leg and looked up to demand, “Carry me to my bed.” 

Muse’s response came quickly, as cold as the demon himself. “Carry yourself. Your legs are working just fine.” 

“I’m injured, Muse!” Virus opened his eyes as wide as he could, ears perking up to complete his ultimate delivery of his patented puppy-dog-eyes. “I can’t go that whole distance myself.” 

It was both adorable and hilarious how he could physically see Muse’s resistance crumble into dust. Muse reached out to stroke the top of Virus’s head and Virus let his tail wag as he leaned into the touch. 

“Fine” Muse huffed softly. His arms reached out to scoop Virus up. Virus, in turn, nuzzled into Muse’s chest and listened carefully to his slow, steady heartbeat. 

He must have drifted off for a moment because when he next came to, Muse was tucking him into his blankets. Muse gave him a final pet on the head before he withdrew completely. 

“There’s more soup on the stove.” He heard Muse say and he made a noise in response. 

Weariness took hold. 

Ever so slowly, Virus found himself drifting back to sleep.

(When he finally woke up, the only evidence he found of the ice demon’s visit was the pot of pumpkin soup on the stove and the lingering scent of mint.)


End file.
